The Provincial Animal Welfare Services Act, 2019 is now administered by the Animal Welfare Services (AWS) branch of the Ministry of Attorney General in Ontario. Consistent funding, legislative teeth and provincial program delivery is enabling more information sharing between stakeholders and coordination of efforts and resources.
The recent change to the PAWS Act, 2019 to update the Standards of Care for Outdoor Dogs is an example of the Ontario livestock and poultry industry working to inform AWS officials to develop clear and specific requirements. A Fact Sheet that lays out the definition of and requirements for outdoor dogs (as of July 1, 2022) is available online.
The update to the definition of the outdoor dog is more inclusive of urban lifestyles, as dogs have more confined areas. It also clarifies how livestock guardian dogs differ.
This is not to say that there isn’t work ahead but understanding more about each other is solid way forward.
To view the Updates to Standards of Care for Outdoor Dogs under the Provincial Animal Welfare Services Act, 2019, in full, visit here.